Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Between the Sheets (Part 1)
Of a book, that is. Since I've finished ye olde exams, I've had some time to do some non-school reading, and much of it has been very enjoyable. Since I'm into lists at the moment, here's a little list of some of the items, and comments and suggestions are welcome--always looking for interesting stuff.
Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood. This is the first book I've read by O'Connor. Stylistically, it was of a high-order. I'm not sure I understand what she is trying to say--my only assistance in that regard comes from a prefatory note (written in 1962) from O'Connor herself, which reads:
In spite of my failure to fully grasp the work, it was engaging and thought-provoking reading nonetheless.
Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles and Murder in Mesopotamia. The wiffle and I read these two aloud on the drive from PA to MI and in various other phases of transit. They're like episodes of Law and Order with a bigger vocabulary, gratuitous use of French phrases, and sometime awkward diction. They are page turners par excellence (to gratuitously throw in a little French myself). I found that I like the 'mystery' genre immensely.
P.G. Wodehouse, Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves. This was also my first encounter with Wodehouse, and I must say that this is the most entertaining book I have read in a long, long time. I suppose that by O'Connor's definition mentioned above, Stiff Upper Lip cannot count as a 'comic novel', because it is not serious, and it certainly is not about matters of life and death. Still, even if this stringent standard is applied and the novel is not comic, at the very least it is decidedly comical, and Wodehouse's mastery of the English language is stunning. Again, there are a lot of French phrases in it, so the French gives a nice consistency to the first three entries on this list! For those interested, I think I first became interested in reading Wodehouse from this essay by Roger Kimball.
Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood. This is the first book I've read by O'Connor. Stylistically, it was of a high-order. I'm not sure I understand what she is trying to say--my only assistance in that regard comes from a prefatory note (written in 1962) from O'Connor herself, which reads:
Wise Blood has reached the age of ten and is still alive. My critical powers are just sufficient to determine this, and I am gratified to be able to say it. The book was written with zest and, if possible, it should be read that way. It is a comic novel about a Christian malgre lui, and as such, very serious, for all comic novels that are any good must be about matters of life and death. Wise Blood was written by an author congenitally innocent of theory, but one with certain preoccupations. That belief in Christ is to some a matter of life and death has been a stumbling block for readers who would prefer to think it a matter of no great consequence. For them Hazel Motes' integrity lies in his trying with such vigor to get rid of the ragged figure who moves from tree to tree in the back of his mind. For the author Hazel's integrity lies in his not being able to. Does one's integrity ever lie in what he is not able to do? I think that usually it does, for free will does not mean one will, but many wills conflicting in one man. Freedom cannot be conceived simply. It is a mystery and one which a novel, even a comic novel, can only be asked to deepen.
In spite of my failure to fully grasp the work, it was engaging and thought-provoking reading nonetheless.
Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles and Murder in Mesopotamia. The wiffle and I read these two aloud on the drive from PA to MI and in various other phases of transit. They're like episodes of Law and Order with a bigger vocabulary, gratuitous use of French phrases, and sometime awkward diction. They are page turners par excellence (to gratuitously throw in a little French myself). I found that I like the 'mystery' genre immensely.
P.G. Wodehouse, Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves. This was also my first encounter with Wodehouse, and I must say that this is the most entertaining book I have read in a long, long time. I suppose that by O'Connor's definition mentioned above, Stiff Upper Lip cannot count as a 'comic novel', because it is not serious, and it certainly is not about matters of life and death. Still, even if this stringent standard is applied and the novel is not comic, at the very least it is decidedly comical, and Wodehouse's mastery of the English language is stunning. Again, there are a lot of French phrases in it, so the French gives a nice consistency to the first three entries on this list! For those interested, I think I first became interested in reading Wodehouse from this essay by Roger Kimball.
